Gaba And Physical Health
GABA activity plays an important role in several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders in which the bodys nerve cells break down or die.
Among these disorders are:
- Huntington’s disease: Reduced levels of GABA in people with Huntington’s disease may contribute to dysfunction in the area of the brain that regulates voluntary movement.
- Epilepsy: A lack of GABA activity is related to excessive nervous system activity during seizures.
- Parkinson’s disease: Rather than too little GABA activity, too much activity may be present with Parkinson’s disease. This blocks messages in the movement centers of the brain.
Other disorders related to GABA activity include the following:
- Pyridoxine deficiency is a rare disease in which pyridoxine is not available to synthesize, or form, GABA. A lack of pyridoxine may cause seizures during infancy.
- Hepatic encephalopathyis a disorder in which liver disease affects brain function. It’s associated with high levels of ammonia in the body. This ammonia may bind to GABA receptors and prevent them from functioning correctly.
- Dystoniais a movement disorder that involves involuntary muscle spasms that are believed to be related to a lack of GABA activity.
Diet Supplements And Gene Therapy Tried For Parkinson’s Disease
Two new experimental approachesdietary supplements and gene therapymight be useful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, scientists from the United States and New Zealand said last week.
Functional decline in early Parkinson’s disease may be slowed by dietary supplementation with the coenzyme Q10, a naturally occurring compound, says a report in the Archives of Neurology
, while the Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first gene therapy trial for advanced Parkinson’s disease. The FDA’s decision comes after the report of a successful experiment in gene therapy carried out in rats
Vitamin B12 And Folate
Vitamin B12 is an antioxidant. It helps keep red blood cells and nerve cells healthy and helps produce DNA. Sources of vitamin B12 are typically red meat, chicken, sardines, eggs, fortified cereals and bread, and nutritional yeast.
Researchers discovered that patients with early-onset Parkinson’s disease had lower vitamin B12 levels, which reduced motor and cognitive functions. In some cases, taking a multivitamin that included vitamin B12 slowed the loss of those functions.
Folate is found in organ meats , yeast, and leafy green vegetables. Folate plays several roles in the body and brain.
Both B12 and folate are involved in the metabolism of homocysteine, an amino acid. High levels of homocysteine are seen in various cognitive disorders. Studies show that Parkinson’s disease patients taking levodopa for the condition are also more likely to have elevated homocysteine.
In one meta-data analysis, researchers investigated the correlations between cognitive function , homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 levels in patients with Parkinson’s disease. They discovered that patients with cognitive dysfunction had high levels of homocysteine and lower levels of folate and vitamin B12.
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Innovative Treatment Modalities For Managing Pain In Parkinsons
Botulinum toxin
Non-dopaminergic pharmacotherapy may benefit patients with PD-related pain. Botulinum toxin , both A and B derivatives, should be considered in patients who do not respond to dopaminergic treatment optimization.1,8 Botulinum toxin injection provides localized treatment by blocking the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction.4 Local injections of BTX type A or B can be effective for persistent dystonia-related pain and central pain, based on its neuromuscular action in movement disorders plus analgesic mechanism.
A randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial concluded that BTX-A in patients with PD is safe and potentially useful in treating limb pain.29 The study was conducted in patients with PD over the age of 30 years with painful limbs not responding to the optimization of anti-Parkinsonian medications. Patients were randomized to receive BTX-A injection or placebo, followed by the other treatment per the crossover design. Depending on the location of pain, patients received up to 200 units in upper limbs or up to 300 units in lower limbs. Patients experienced a significant reduction in their self-reported numerical pain score 4 weeks after the BTX-A injection , but not with placebo . There was no difference between the change with BTX-A compared to placebo . This study demonstrated that targeted BTX-A injections are safe in patients with PD.
Cannabinoids
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Wake Up Dormant Dopaminergic Neurons To Reverse Parkinson’s Disease
Astrocytic GABA identified as the novel therapeutic target of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease
Institute for Basic Science
image: Reactive astrocytes in SNpc produce excessive GABA via MAO-B in animal models of PD. Aberrant tonic inhibition of dopaminergic neurons causes reduced dopamine production in neurons and motor deficits. The Parkinsonian motor deficits and reduced dopamine production can be recovered by MAO-B inhibition or optogenetic activation of SNpc neurons.view more
As many as seven to 10 million people in the world are thought to live with Parkinson’s disease . Being the second most common neurodegenerative disease, PD severely affects patients’ quality of life, not just brining movement abnormalities. Despite its prevalence and negative impact, current medical treatments for PD rely on alleviating PD symptoms with little efforts to explore ways to reverse the symptoms.
It has been firmly believed that abnormal movements of PD begin in the brain where the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter for movement control, is irreversibly impaired, i.e. in a state of neuronal death. Currently, L-DOPA, a potent PD medication is mainly prescribed to replenish dopamine in the deprived brain. However, such a treatment is symptomatic therapy, rather than a disease-modifying therapy. Long-term use of L-DOPA is well-known to cause serious side effects such as involuntary, erratic, and writhing movements.
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Gaba For Anxiety And Depression
This 2003 review on GABA usage for anxiety asserts that GABA is known to counterbalance the affect of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, and plays a role in multiple neurobiological interactions that are relevant to those with anxiety disorders. It supports the use of GABAergic agents in treating anxiety, as does this 2012 article on the GABA system in anxiety and depression cases, which also points out that certain GABAA receptor modulators and GABAB antagonists could serve as potential antidepressants.
Gaba For Blood Pressure
In individuals with mild hypertension , an eight-week treatment of GABA was associated with reduced morning blood pressure compared to control. Systolic blood pressure was reduced by 10 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure was reduced by 5 mmHg from baseline.
Research suggests that low levels of GABA are associated with anxiety disorders and sleep problems such as insomnia.
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So What Does Nutrition Have To Do With Parkinsons
1. The neurotransmitter dopamine is made in the body from amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. Every time we eat a protein rich food we take in protein, which the body breaks down into its component amino acids. Two amino acids are converted in the body into L-Dopa, which is then converted into dopamine in the brain.
2. Nutrient co-factors are required for each stage of this conversion process, so deficiencies of these may reduce dopamine production.
3. L-dopa medication competes for absorption with dietary amino acids, therefore the timing of taking L-dopa and the eating of protein needs to be managed for optimal absorption and effectiveness of the drug and the reduction of side-effects.
Therefore, the nutritional therapy approach to Parkinsons includes:
1. Supporting dopamine production by ensuring adequate precursors and co-factors
2. Considering drug-nutrient interactions to enhance effectiveness and reduce side-effects
3. Optimising nutritional status and addressing co-morbidities . These co-morbidities include constipation, depression, fatigue, and insomnia.
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Gaba Benefits: Improved Sleep Stress And More
The current global health crisis has undoubtedly changed the way we live and has contributed to the stressors we experience, such as social isolation and unemployment. These stressors have negative effects on mental health, such as increasing the risk of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems associated with distress. 00196-6/fulltext” rel=”nofollow”> 2)
Building resilience to stress and addressing mental health conditions requires an integrative approach and guidance from your healthcare provider. This approach may involve counseling or therapy, prescription medication, lifestyle approaches, and dietary supplements. A supplement known as GABA may help as part of a treatment plan, as GABA benefits include improved sleep and stress levels.
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Gaba Benefits For Sleep
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, individuals with insomnia received GABA from a germinated rice source for four weeks. GABA was associated with improvements in two markers of sleep qualityimproved sleep efficacy and reduced time falling asleepcompared to the placebo group.
Another randomized placebo-controlled study found similar results. Individuals in the GABA treatment group had significantly shortened time falling asleep and increased non-rapid eye movement sleep time, and subjectively reported feeling the effects of GABA on sleep.
Om Mushrooms Gently Zen
Price: $23.29
Om Mushrooms Gently Zen supplement is brimming with brain food. In addition to 300 mg of GABA, each capsule contains Vitamin D3, B6, Ashwagandha, Theanine, and a detoxifying reishi mushroom blend. Combined, these ingredients make a supplement that will leave you feeling calm, cool, and collected all day.
Each bottle contains 30 servings if taking the recommended amount of 3 capsules per day.
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What Is Gaba How Does Gaba Work Where Can You Find It
GABA is classified as an inhibitory neurotransmitter due to its ability to block certain signals in the brain. GABA decreases activity in the central nervous system and binds with proteins in the brain known as GABA receptors, which creates a calming effect that helps ameliorate feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety. GABA may also help prevent seizures.
Because of these abilities, GABA has become a popular dietary supplement.
For those who want to know how to increase GABA naturally, GABA is found in oolong, black, and green tea, and fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, kefir, and tempeh. GABA production can be boosted by other foods, including nuts like almonds and walnuts, seafood like halibut and shrimp, whole grains, soy, beans, sunflower seeds, spinach, broccoli, fava, tomatoes, citrus fruits, berries, and cocoa.
Current Views On The Etiology Of Parkinson’s Disease
Neurodegenerative diseases constitute a heterogeneous group of disorders of the nervous system that are characterized by a slow but irreversible deterioration of brain functions. These diseases have devastating effects on patients and are often accompanied by tremendous physical and emotional burden not only for the patients but also for their families and friends. Parkinson’s disease is progressive and the second most common neurodegenerative disorder . For decades, the clinical diagnosis of PD was based on a set of motor symptoms such as: rigidity, bradykinesia, akinesia, abnormal posture and resting tremor . The motor symptoms of PD have been linked with a loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and a consequential reduction in the level of dopamine input in the striatum. These served as the neurophysiological hallmarks for diagnosis, although at least a 5070% decrease in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system occurs before the onset of clinical parkinsonism . Such significant brain lesion does not permit any effective medical treatment. To date, the therapy of PD is symptomatic, aimed at ameliorating motor symptoms.
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Gaba For High Blood Pressure
There are many studies that have evaluated GABA-containing products and their effectiveness at lowering blood pressure. A 2003 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming fermented milk with GABA helped significantly lower blood pressure levels in participants with elevated blood pressure in 2-4 weeks . And a 2009 study revealed that consuming a GABA-containing chlorella supplement 2 times a day lowered the blood pressure of subjects with borderline hypertension.
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Gaba In Anxiety And Depression
Anxiety and depression are common non-motor symptoms of PD, with reported prevalence rates of 2040% and 50% , respectively, and may precede motor signs . Notably, RBD patients score worse on anxiety and depression scales than controls and even PD patients . Although the exact neurobiological mechanisms that underlie anxiety and depression have not been fully elucidated, they seem to be intrinsically interrelated.
Pharmacological studies in both humans and animals have revealed that positive modulators of GABAA receptors are anxiolytic and antidepressant, whereas negative modulators produce anxiogenic and depressive-like effects . Agents that enhance GABAA receptor conductance and GABA metabolism exert anxiolytic effects, and it seems that partial agonists of 2/3 GABAA receptors, such as TPA-023, may also serve as antidepressants . Furthermore, genetic studies implicate GABA-receptor dysfunction in the risk of developing anxiety and depression . Recent evidence suggest that somatostatin contributes to the pathology of anxiety and depression , levels of this GABAergic marker being low in cerebrospinal fluid and induced pluripotent cells of PD patients . Nonetheless, there is still a lack of studies exploring the role of somatostatin in anxiety and depressive disorders in PD.
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How Is A Diagnosis Made
Because other conditions and medications mimic the symptoms of PD, getting an accurate diagnosis from a physician is important. No single test can confirm a diagnosis of PD, because the symptoms vary from person to person. A thorough history and physical exam should be enough for a diagnosis to be made. Other conditions that have Parkinsons-like symptoms include Parkinsons plus, essential tremor, progressive supranuclear palsy, multi-system atrophy, dystonia, and normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Why Do People Take Gaba Supplements
GABAs natural calming effect on the brain has led to countless claims about the use of GABA supplements to reduce stress. Too much stress is linked to poor sleep, a weaker immune system, and a higher risk of depression, among other things. Heres a closer look at the effects of stress on your body.
In addition, people with certain medical conditions may have lower levels of GABA. Some of these conditions include:
- seizure disorders
suggests that its only small amounts.
Heres a look at some of the research behind GABAs more popular uses.
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Gaba And Tryptophan For Pain And Anxiety In Parkinsons Disease
Last week I blogged about my recent back injury and how acupuncture boosts GABA to reduce back pain and how oral GABA further reduces the pain. Both these interventions have helped me so much and Im doing so much better.
I love the feedback I receive in the blog comments and the great questions which get to help the person asking the question and everyone else reading the blog and comments. So thank you if you comment!
I received this lovely feedback about GABA and anxiety, and a question about Parkinsons disease and want to share it and my response here so you and families with a loved one with Parkinsons disease will also have access to this information:
I have loved reading your articles for a long time and listen to you whenever you are on a summit. I have learned a lot. GABA definitely helps me to relax, reduce my monkey mind and sleep better.
My mom has Parkinsons disease and is very stiff and tight. She hurts often, especially her back. She also has afternoon anxiety, some call it sundowners. Can she take GABA with carbidopa-levidopa and blood pressure meds? She needs some kind of help!
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you might have to give her any quality of life as right now it is not good and the doctors offer no suggestions beyond possibly more prescriptions.
For someone on blood pressure medication Id start with a GABA-only product or GABA-theanine product rather than GABA Calm which does contain tyrosine.
Final Remarks And Conclusions
Current evidence supports the view that PD is a degenerative disorder that affects multiple systems and presents with several non-motor symptoms. Over recent years, the importance of early, non-motor manifestations of PD has been increasingly recognized, as they may help to identify patients at high risk of developing -synucleinopathies. Even though the neuronal circuits for motor symptoms are fairly well understood, the pathophysiological mechanisms for perceptual, cognitive, mood and autonomic disturbances of PD remain unclear.
Nevertheless, there is a paucity of replication and large case-control studies. Future research should include in vivo longitudinal studies that examine the link between alterations in the GABAergic system and early non-motor symptoms by exploiting advances in PET ligands, magnetic resonance spectroscopy and CSF biomarkers. Preclinical studies might help to investigate the effects of GABA in the pathogenesis of non-motor symptoms, but we suggest that identifying the neurotransmitter deficits that correlate with clinical severity should be the mainstay for guiding future treatment studies.
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Workout Recovery And Muscle Building
A 2019 research study asked 21 healthy males to take a supplement with whey protein or whey protein plus GABA once a day for 12 weeks.
The participants performed the same resistance training exercises twice a week, and the researchers measured the results. The researchers found that the combination of whey protein and GABA increased levels of growth hormone compared to whey protein alone.
Although this was another small study, the researchers concluded that GABA supplements might help build muscle and assist in workout recovery. They recommended that researchers conduct more studies.
It is essential to follow any instructions, whether using supplements or taking medications that mimic or aim to boost GABA.
What Causes Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons is caused by the degeneration of brain cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These neurons are responsible for the production of a particular neurotransmitter called dopamine and it is the lack of this neurotransmitter that is responsible for the main Parkinsons symptoms. The cause of the disease is not known. However, like most degenerative illnesses, it is likely to be due to a range of factors including interactions between genes and environment. Contributory factors may include environmental toxicity, physical trauma, genetics, drugs, disease , nutritional deficiency, mitochondrial insufficiency, enzyme deficiency and unremitting stress.
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